Bearing



Aug. 20, 1946. w. R. FREEMAN BEARING Filed Nov. 1, 1944 l/h i/vrol? We; TER R, measl /QM MW matter.

Patented Aug. 20, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, v Q

- I 2,406,069 r BEARING 'Walter R..Freeman, St. Louis County, Mo. Ap plication November 1, 1e44, Serial No. 561,397

7 Claims. (Cl. 308184) This invention relates to bearings and more particularly to a bearing for use with a shaft which operates in a liquid containing foreign An object of the invention is to provide an improved bearing for a shaft which will be eflicient in operation and have long life with minimum shaft wear under conditions where the bearin and shaft are submerged in aliquid containing foreign matter.

Anotherrobject is" to produce a shaft'bearing whichis so constructed that the shaft is supported on yieldable rollers-which are free to roll about their own axis and also rotate bodilyabout the axis of the shaft.-

. -A still further object is to produce a shaft bearing whichwill so operate that there will be present a self-cleansing action so that no abrasive ,wear will occur between it and the shaft when -the bearing and shaft are submerged in aliquid containing an abrasivesubstance.

: -A-' further object is to: produce a bearing which will be:- self-cleansing and self-lubricating when employed with a shaft submerged in; a liquid having abrasivematerial suspended therein.

; A'morerspecific object is to produce an improved'bearing which is especially well adapted for use as. a strut. bearing; for boat propeller shafts. I I i Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following deseription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing a preferredembodiment thereof.

In theclrawing: V v

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a bearing associated with a shaft and constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and are cross sectional views taken, respectively, onthe lines 2-2, 3- -3, 4 -4, and'5-,5 of Figure 1 and showing details of construction. I r a Referrin -tothe figures in detail, the numeral l -lindicates asupport member which-has a cylindrical opening [2 therethrough. Extending through. this opening i a shaft I3 which is of somewhat smaller diameter than the opening l2. Between the shaft andthe support is positioned my. improved bearing, generally indicated by the numeral 14-, saidbearing permittingrotation of, the shaft relative totheysupport and also acting as a supporti ngmedium between the shaft andsupport. v

The bearing construction shown comprises a cylindrical caged-Shaving: an; external. diameter sme l etn nh i e e e iheve n ns n the support and an internal diameter greater than the diameter of" the shaft l3. This-cage is provided with a plurality.of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending slots l5 eX-tending completely through the cage-wall. Theslots are-formedv with parallel side walls I] and these walls are spaced apart a slightly greater distance than the radial distancebetweenthe cylindrical opening l2 and the cylindricalsurfacet; l3 when the axes of these two surfaces -;are;-coinciding. In each slot is positioned an elongated. roller member l8 of a diameter to engagezth support opening surface and the shaftsurfaceand thus centralize the shaft in the opening. Thisg diameter' permit the roller members to roll "freely in their slots. I v

These rollermembers-are constructed of ma,- terial to provide a yieldable surface, a suitable material being rubber, a yieldable;plastic,- etc". If it is desired to give the rubber'greate-r stability; fabric may be incorp-orated-therein.- Where-the rolls have a, fairly largediameter it is found practical to provide the-:roller members with'a metal. corev in orderto-control the yieldabili-ty of the roller surfaces. With'theL roller members positionedin; the slots of the cage and the-assembly positioned :between'th'e' support and shaft; as shown in the various figures; the shaft will be properly supported and, yet freely rotatable in the support since the roller-=members-arefree to rotate. in their slots. 1

Inaddition to the roller members beingnfree to rotate about their ow-n axisin the-caga-fthe cage is also free torotate relativatothe-shaft and the support andabout theaxis 'of the shaft. Thus as theshaft rotates the: rolling-action: of the roller members about their own-axis will result .in .a rotation of the cage; I l 1e-.act ion;-gis thesame as a planetary wheel arrangement wherein. the shaft is thesunw-wheel, the roller members the planet wheels and the cylindrical surfaceof theisupport it the. fixed-orbitwheel. There will be.no. slidingabetweenthe surfaces of the support and the shaft-contacted by1theroller members, only. a. rollingaction.

In order that the cage-will be properly-pen! tralized between .the surface of the opening [2 and theshaft 13, the-ends of the cage carry internalrings l9 of rubber or. other -suitable mate-- rial which ride on the shaft and-maintainthe. cage in proper position.- The cagezismrevented from shiftingaxiallyout of the-openingl2-.-by? providing oneendof the =cage wi-tha flange. 2.0;- for engaging one end surface of ther-supports H and the other end of. the cage with: threads :and

. end of the Support.

an annular nut 2| for cooperation with the other An annular locking nut 22 holds the nut 2| in desired position. The flange 20 has notches 23 and nuts 2| and 22 have notches 24 (see Fig. 4) and 25 for the reception of spanner wrenches so that the nuts can be removed to free the cage for sliding movement along the shaft and out of the support opening 12. When the bearing is in proper position the cage should have only suchaslight axial movement'relative to the support as to be freely rotatable.

The nut 2| on its side adjacent the support is provided with radial grooves 26 so as to permit free flow of liquid from the spacebetween the support and the shaft and around the rollers. Fluid may enter this space from the opposite-end through the notches 23 in the flange. Thus when the shaft is rotating in the direction indicated by' the arrow there can be a circulation of liquid through the bearing. This circulation is aided by 4 claim as new and desire to'seoure by Letters Patent of'the United States is: V

1. In a bearing for cooperation with a shaft anda surrounding support, a cage having circumferentially spaced elongated members, means for securing the members from'relative movement, rollers having yieldable surfaces with each roller being positioned between two members and confined thereby, said rollers being ;of adiameter greaterthan the radial thicknessof the'members and capable of contacting the shaft and support for rolling engagement on their surfaces, ra-

V dially extending slotted shoulder means carried a-centrifugal pumping actioncaused by the rota- V .tion'of the shaft and the roller members about their own axis and about the axis of the shaft. Thiscirculation of fluid through the bearing results in a self-cleansing and lubricationaction and is particularlyadvantageous in mai-ntaininga very high efficiency for. the bearing when the bearing is employed with a shaft operating in a liquid such as water, and particularly liquid which carries foreign material of an abrasive character such as silt and sand. 1

The bearing has been found to be highly :eflicient for use as a strut bearing for boat propeller shafts. Tests have shown that when this bearing is employed there will be little or no wear'of the shaft, regardless of the amount of foreign material, such as silt and sand, in the water. This result is obtained primarily from the pare ticular construction of the bearing." The roller members I t have no sliding action'on the sup.- port surface or the shaft surface. The foreign 7 material is merely rolled over by the yieldable surfacesof the roller members. There is no rubadequate water lubrication.

4 When the roller members deteriorate and re quire-replacement such can'be'very easily accom plished'without the necessity of taking the cage completely off the shaft and also removing the propeller. The nuts 2| and 22 are unscrewed and the cage and roller'members slid along the shaft l to theleftias viewed in Figure l) to a position where the bearing is removed from the support.

Theroller members may now be picked out of the slots and new ones placed in the slots.

The bearing can then be placed back inoperative.

;, .positiom, Since the shaft does not become worn; by the use of the bearing there is never any necessity-for replacing the shaft, asmust be done with the present strut bearings where an abrasive action due to turning of the shaft in a fixed r ace-"1. V i Being aware of the possibility of modifications in the particular bearing structure shown and described, without departing from the funda-i mental principlesof my invention, I do not intend that the scope of said invention be limited in any "manner 'except'in accordance with the appended claims. a 'Havlng'fully described my invention, what I rollers beingof a diameter greater than the ra-'-. dialthickness of the cage at the slots and'en-. gaging the cylindrical surfaces when the bearingis in position, means at the ends of the ca e by one end of the elongated members and a removable radially slotted nut carried by the other end of the elongated members.

'2. .In'a bearing for use between relatively rotatable members having spaced cylindrical surfaces one of which acts as a supportfor the other, said members being submerged ina liquid carrying abrasive material, a cage having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending members integrally united at their ends, said members being so shaped as to provide parallel sided slots therebetween, rollers provided with 'yieldable surfaces and positioned in the slots, said rollers being of greater diameter than the'radial thickness of the cage members and of a size to engage the spaced cylindrical surfaces when thebearing is in position, and means carried by the cage for preventing axial shifting of the cage but permitting it to rotate relatively to the cylindrical stir-1 faces, said last named means embodying readily removable means permitting said cageand rollers to having relative bodily axial movement with;i-espect to the larger cylindrical surface so as to assume a position where the'rollers can be freely removed in 'a radial directionfrom the slots.

3, In a bearing for use between relatively ro-' 'tatable members having spaced cylindrical surfaces one of'which acts as a support for the other, a cage having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending 'members' integrally united at their ends, said members being so shaped as to provide parallel sided'slots there'- between, rollers provided with iyieldable surfaces positioned in the slots, said rollers being of great- 1 'er' diameter than the radial thickness or the cage members and of a size to engage the spaced cylindrical members when the bearing" is in position, ring means carried byeach end of the cage and engaging the inner cylindrical surface for supporting the longitudinally extending members of the cage inspaced relation to the ey lindrical surfaces, and means carriedby the cage for preventing axial shifting of the cage but permitting it to rotate relatively to the cylindrical surfaces. H 4: A bearing for use between tworelative r0- tatable members having different size internal and external cylindrical surfaces, said bearing comprising a cylindrical cage formed with circumferentially spaced longitudinal slots, said cage'havinga' radial thickness at the slots less than the radial space between the cylindrical surfaces, rollers positioned in. the slots for rota-1 tion therein and having yieldable surfaces, said to centralize the cagebetween the, cylindrical surfaces, and shoulder means on the ends of the cage for engagement with shoulders on one of of the cage with respect to the members, said shoulder means being slotted to permit flow of fluid through the cage and around the rollers.

5. A bearing for use between two relative rotatable members having difierent size internal and external cylindrical surfaces, said bearing comprising a cylindrical cage formed with circumferentially spaced longitudinal slots, said cage having a radial thickness at the slots less than the radial space between the cylindrical surfaces, rollers positioned in the slots for rotation therein and having yieldable surfaces, said rollers being of a diameter greater than the radial thickness of the cage at the slots and engaging the cylindrical surfaces when the bearing is in position, yieldable rings at the ends of the cage to centralize the cage between the cylindrical surfaces, and shoulder means on the ends of the cage for engagement with shoulders on the member having the internal cylindrical surface and thereby limit axial movement of the cage with respect to the members, one of said shoulder means being removable.

6. Abearing for use between two relative rotatable members having diiferent size internal and external cylindrical surfaces, said members being submerged in a liquid containing abrasive 6 material, said bearing comprising a cylindrical cage formed with circumferentially spaced longitudinal slots, rollers positioned in the slot for engaging the cylindrical surfaces, said rollers being made from rubber or like yieldable material and capable of free rotary movement about their axes and said cage being arranged for rotary movement relative to both cylindrical surfaces, and means on the ends of the cage including a removable member for limiting axial movement thereof during operation.

'7. A bearing for use between two relatively rotatable members having different size internal and external surface, a cylindrical cage provided with longitudinal slots having parallel sides, rubber rollers positioned in the slots and. of a diameter greater than the thickness of the cage at the slots, said rollers being free to rotate in the slots when engaging the cylindrical surfaces of the relatively rotatable members, yieldable rings on the ends of the cage for supporting the cage in spaced relation between the cylindrical surfaces, means providing an outwardly extending shoulder on one end of the cage, and an annular nut on the other end of the cage.

WALTER R. FREEMAN. 

